A Fraction of a Second
by carinims01
Summary: "A fraction of a second. That's all it took. An unseen chance. A wrong turn. A misplaced glance. I knew that more than anyone. It was a time that could save your life, or take it. It was both a blessing and a curse. It was a fraction of a second." AU 2x04. Hiccup and Toothless crash during the fight with the Screaming Death, only this time, everything might not turn out alright.


Disclaimer: I don't own How to Train Your Dragon

Hello, everyone! So, this was actually supposed to be up like... yesterday, but I ran out of time, and then I spent the last two house looking for the right cover. (I wasn't on Tumblr, what are you talking about? Psh.) Anyway, new one-shot! Rejoice! Aaaannnnddd this is my first ever HTTYD fic... :D

So I've always loved How to Train Your Dragon. At first I was uninterested because I thought it was literally a movie about _how_ to _train_ a dragon... you know, like for little kids? (This was all years ago, mind you. Like, when it first came out.) Then I saw a preview and got interested, and after that I saw the movie and got hooked. Surprise, surprise. But I couldn't see myself writing fanfiction for it... Until now, apparently. :D I'm still slightly surprised that I actually wrote this because writing for this fandom wasn't even an interest of mine. It just hit me this weekend (while I was on a sugar high, of course. Two cups of coffee, two Coke's, and two/three cups of caffeinated tea), and I started writing. I wrote seven pages in one sitting and then five more the next day. Hello, one-shot! :D Also, I'm dedicating this to a few people just because I can. So, this is dedicated to CaptainOzone, ErinNovelist, Aimee, and Ashley. :D Love you guys!

Okay, so I hate to tell you guys this after I (successfully) drew you in, but this is an alternate ending. I know. I'm sorry. It's from the episode "Tunnel Vision" (2x04) from Dragons: Defenders of Berk. If you haven't seen the episode, that's fine. There aren't any major spoilers in here other than the new dragon, the Screaming Death. It does everything I describe and looks how I described it. I picked the plot up towards the end of the fight scene and just changed how it ends. If you want, you can always Youtube it to see what really happened. And feel free to ask me any lingering questions. :) Also, the italicized _"..." _dialogue is taken from either the movie or the episode. I think there's only one line that was from one of the specials.

Oh, and, the entire time I was writing this (literally almost every minute of every hour of those two days) I was listening to "Bleed Out" by Blue October. That _fed_ this whole fic. So please check it out if you've got the time. It doesn't have anything to do with this lyric wise, but it just... I don't even know. xD

Enjoy:

* * *

**A Fraction of a Second**

* * *

A fraction of a second.

That's all it took.

An unseen chance. A wrong turn. A misplaced glance.

I knew that more than anyone.

It was a second that could save your life, or take it. It was both a blessing and a curse.

It was a fraction of a second.

The fights paralleled each other. I knew that, but I had to take the chance. We had won against the Red Death, and she had been so much larger. I couldn't think about how I had almost lost my life or my best friend, my dragon, in that battle, or how I _had_ lost my leg. I couldn't.

Or I would hesitate.

And I couldn't afford that.

The Screaming Death trailed behind me, albino scales dull beneath the cloudy sky. Its tail spun hypnotically behind it, razor sharp spikes glinting in the dim light. I could feel its fierce eyes on my back, and I knew, _I knew,_ we had to get away.

_"It doesn't have the Whispering Death's weakness. It goes _after _the sunlight."_

I wasn't the only one in danger. Toothless was, too.

"C'mon, bud," I urged, leaning forward. My hair whipped around my face, and I narrowed my eyes.

I could almost feel the Screaming Death's hot breath on my back, and I could only imagine how Toothless must feel. I felt his pulse racing beneath my touch, echoing my hastened heartbeat as we raced for our lives.

Toothless banked sharply around a sea stack, narrowly missing the pillar of stone. The encroaching dragon behind us smashed right into it, and I raised my shield to protect myself and Toothless' head as debris flew around us.

_"So how do we beat it?"_

Toothless, however, let out a cry of pain, and I whipped around to see not only the Screaming Death gaining ground, but also a large crimson smear on my dragon's dark tail, and a small tear in his prosthetic fin. My eyes widened and my breath caught with surprise and panic.

"_Uh-uh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon."_

I had to act quickly, or else Toothless would be a downed dragon, with a downed rider.

"_We give it what it wants."_

I leaned right, and Toothless spun around another sea stack. I angled my sterling shield, reflecting what little sunlight there was right into the enemy dragon's flaming red eyes. Her scales glowed brighter and her massive jaws spread as she screeched astoundingly loud. Whether it was in pain or annoyance, I didn't know. I didn't feel like finding out, either.

"Just a little farther," I hissed.

Toothless' wings beat furiously, trying to compensate for the loss of the fin as he banked around a long pillar. I knew he was disoriented, too, from the Screaming Death's roar, and it didn't help that the beast let out another throaty screech.

We wouldn't last much longer.

This was it.

I felt the heat of the biting flames as the dragon behind me released a jet of fire not only from her mouth, but also from behind its massive frills.

Our fraction of a second.

Toothless banked sharply to the _right _to avoid the flaming mass but lost control as we scraped against an arched sea stack. The whole of the inferno crashed into the same pillar, the bright flash blinding me as I yelled in pain. I used my arm to cover my face, trying to keep a tight grip on the harness with my other hand as Toothless' wings beat, vainly trying to rebalance us.

We crashed atop one of the stacks, hard, and with a muffled _thud_. I felt my breath hitch at the sudden impact, and pain shot throughout my body. The land and sea and sky blurred as I tumbled off my dragon's back, and all I could hear was my own rushing pulse and the sound of flying earth as I skidded to a halt.

We failed.

And the world finally stopped.

I raised my head slowly, only aware of my laboured breath and the sound of the thundering heartbeat in my ears. I heard muffled yelling and screeches... from the Screaming Death.

Heat.

A sonic blast from a Night Fury.

More angry calls

"_Hiccup!"_

My leg burned. The prosthetic _hurt_. It never hurt. It sent waves of pain up my leg to echo through the rest of my body, in sync with the headache pounding against my temples. I blinked my eyes open and groaned with agony as the pounding in my head increased tenfold. Sluggishly, I brought my hand up to my temple as I finally registered something wet and sticky there. I saw a red blur on my fingertips, but all I felt was confusion.

I heard a high-pitched whine, and it took me another few seconds to realize... it was Toothless. I raised myself using my elbows.

"T-Tooth-less," I hissed, trying to turn.

I couldn't move my leg, though. I screamed as pain shot up my limb again, overtaking my body as I squeezed my eyes shut and grit my teeth. Hot water pushed against my eyelids, but I couldn't focus on that. Not now.

My voice was rough, low, and pained. "Toothless..."

But all he was an ebony blur against the grass.

_"No! No! It's okay, it's okay! He's a friend." _

_ "I wouldn't kill him, because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him... and I saw myself."_

_ "I bet he's really frightened now. What're you gonna do about it?"_

"Please..."

There was another jet of fire as the Screaming Death roared again. I screamed as the pitch of it shot agony through me, and I collapsed back onto the cool grass, using my arms to shield my ears.

The dragon's screams continued. I don't know how long, but I knew that I couldn't hear anything afterwards. It took a few moments for my mind to even register the muffled thud of a dragon landing, and then several more to recognize the footfalls of someone running towards me.

"Hiccup!"

"_Astrid, if something... goes wrong, just make sure they don't find Toothless._"

"Astrid..."

I felt her finger brush my temple and saw the pain in her face. Was it that bad? She carefully scanned the rest of me, and her facial expressions did nothing to fill me with confidence.

I heard several more landings around me, and heard Fishlegs' frightened voice ask:

"Is he okay?"

Astrid's answer was firm and void of emotion. "We need to get him back to Berk. Now."

"Tooth..."

"_It's a mess. You must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend..."_

I couldn't lose Toothless.

"Astrid," I tried again.

"He'll be fine, Hiccup. He just hurt his tail."

I let out a breath of relief, feeling overwhelmed and dizzy at the same time. Astrid came over to my right side, hoisting my arm around her shoulders as Snotlout crowded my left side. I groaned as they lifted me, temples pounding as pain ricocheted through me. I couldn't put any weight on my prosthetic.

"Man, that crash was epic!" Tuffnut enthused. His sister bumped him in agreement.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut," Astrid barked, "get back to Berk and tell Stoick and Gobber what happened."

"But-"

"_Now!"_

Blood trailed down my face, and my eyelids fluttered as I stumbled.

"You have to stay awake, Hiccup," Astrid instructed softly. "Stay awake, okay?"

I nodded dumbly, head hanging as the world unfocused again. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted onto a dragon. But it felt so wrong... The texture of the scales...

It wasn't Toothless.

"Wait, no. Toothless..."

Astrid climbed on behind me, wrapping her arm around my waist protectively. I was on Stormfly, I realized. "He's going to be alright. Fishlegs is going to stay with him until we can get a repaired fin. We'll be back for him, Hiccup, I promise."

I didn't have the energy to protest.

* * *

I must have blacked out when Stormfly took off because all I remember is the wind flying through my hair and the whistling sound of it. I woke up again when the dragon landed, the soft impact still to rude for my aching mind and body. It wasn't Astrid or Snotlout that brought me down from Stormfly, either.

"By Odin's beard!"

Dad.

I audibly sighed with relief again. I was home. Despite the nearly unbearable pain I was in, I was home. That fact alone quelled some of the storm within me.

"Gobber!" he yelled. I winced at the volume.

I was laid on something soft-my bed, I think. Someone peeled my vest off, as well as my boots and my prosthetic. The pain subdued a little with the irritant was gone, but not much.

"Here," Gobber said, "give him this."

I could hear the disgust in Astrid's voice. "What is it?"

"_Oh, nice of you to join the party! I thought you'd been carried off!"_

"Pain reliever and disinfectant," he answered. "Makes sure he drinks all of it."

"What can I do?" my dad asked desperately.

Gobber handed him something. "You can clean his leg. I'll work on his head."

The blurred image of Astrid came forward, carefully parting my lips with the mouth of the bottle as she plugged my nose. I'm actually thankful that she did because if I had smelled the concoction before, I wouldn't have drunk it. I choked on the thick liquid as it seeped down my throat, coughing harshly before a water jug was pressed against my mouth. I drank that easier and soon, I felt darkness pulling at me.

"Wait! He needs to stay awake!" Astrid protested, realizing what it was doing.

Gobber shushed her patiently. "Staying awake wouldn't do him any good other than to tire him out more, Astrid. What he needs is rest."

"But-"

"I can take care of him. Why don't you get Toothless back here?" Gobber continued.

Before I was dragged down, I heard my dad say, "He keeps an extra tail downstairs."

* * *

The next time I woke up, I heard my Night Fury's familiar breathing near the crackling fire. Thank goodness. I parted my lips, trying to say his name, but I think only a squeak escaped my mouth. I still couldn't hear properly. The Screaming Death's roar must have done more damage than I thought.

That squeak, though, seemed to rouse Toothless enough because he was soon right next to me, bumping me with his nose excitedly as he breathed in my scent.

_"Uh...does my dad know you're in here?"_

"Hey, bud," I croaked quietly, a small smile pulling at my lips. I scratched the side of his face, enchanted by his loyal green eyes. "How're you?"

In reply, the dragon let out a deep rolling noise and a sharp whine. I smiled brighter. He was fine. I tried to sit up, but as soon as I did, pain roared through me. I fell back down on the bed, letting out a small cry as my breath hitched, and the Night Fury's previously loving eyes filled with concern. He let out a worried, reverberating screech, but that only drove me further under the blackness.

He blurred again, still crying out. I reached out towards him, panic igniting my mind as the world faded and cold blanketed me.

* * *

"How is he?"

I inhaled through my nose, the rush of air clearing my senses enough to hear. Everything was still a bit muffled, but it was better. I briefly wondered how long I had been out.

"He's got a fever."

"A fever? How did we miss that?"

"_I should have known. I should have seen the signs."_

"It just cropped up, Stoick."

I felt something rough brush against my hand. His scales were warm from sitting by the fire, and, in the back of my mind, I realized that he must not have left my side. Not with his scales this warm.

_Toothless_.

But I couldn't get his name past my lips.

Is this what it felt like to be paralyzed?

I distantly heard a chair creaking. "What about his injuries?"

Gobber's voice was closer than my fathers, clearer. "His head is healing, but slowly. I don't like it, Stoick. It's deep. And his leg... The prosthetic cut into it. Deep. It's infected."

"_That bit's my handiwork. With a little Hiccup flare thrown in. Think it'll do?"_

My-my leg? What...?

I felt it, then, as though my whole body had sparked to life. There was a dull, throbbing pain. I winced as it seemed to crawl up my leg with every heartbeat.

I felt Gobber's good hand briefly touch my shoulder, settling me, and something was pressed against my dry lips. It smelled horrible, but I couldn't fight it. I couldn't even move.

"The best thing for him now is sleep."

My dad's voice hardened. "That bloody Screaming Death did this."

Screaming... Death?

White scales and scarlet eyes raced behind my eyes. Her flaming heat and dangerous roar... The dragon! The village! Was everyone okay? Had we beat it? What happened? Where was it now?

"It's gone now, Stoick," Gobber placated.

"We don't know that," the chief countered. "Whispering Death's are known to return to their birth place and claim the land as their own."

"At least _try_ to be optimistic! The Screaming Death is only related to the Whispering Death. We already know they don't have the same habits. Maybe we'll get lucky. Just this once."

"Gobber, when do we-"

And everything faded out again as the drug enticed me to sleep.

* * *

A soft voice brought me back.

"Gobber says he doesn't know when you'll be up."

_ "You said_ 'wouldn't' _that time." _

_Astrid..._

I imagined her sauntering around the room, swaying her hips proudly as the firelight caught her slim frame.

But not now. Not from her voice.

She sounded, now, like she was sitting in a chair, still and unmoving as she gazed questioningly at me. I heard Toothless' low rumble and heard a distant scratching sound.

"Toothless misses you," she continued. I heard a small smile in her voice. "He hasn't left your room, you know. It's been four days now."

I felt my breath catch.

_Four days? _

I'd been out for _four days? _

Toothless grumbled again, happily, as Astrid rubbed his scales. "I think it's unhealthy," she said, "but he refuses to leave. Not that he could enjoy flying without his other half anyway."

I felt something warm spread inside me. Toothless has been my first real friend. We'd faced the Red Death head on together, and we paralleled each other in so many ways. He truly was my other half.

"You should have seen Ruffnut and Tuffnut trying to put the new tail on him. It was hopeless. I ended up doing it and flying him back to Berk. He landed on the rooftop; I'm surprised it didn't wake you. And ever since then he hasn't left. Fishlegs has been bringing him food."

I felt gratitude towards each of them, and I wondered what our lives would have been like if I hadn't captured a Night Fury that fateful night.

"_Okay, but I hit a Night Fury."_

That one battle started it all. That was the one thing that had changed everything; the very way Vikings live.

"_We don't have to kill them."_

We became one with the dragons…

"Please be okay, Hiccup," she said suddenly. "You have to be."

I could already feel Gobber's sleeping potion pulling me back down, smoothly and fluidly.

_Astrid..._

The world became muffled again and the dim firelight finally died.

* * *

Warmth spread through me as I regained consciousness again. Was that a good sign?

I tried to wiggle my fingers, to move. I think I did, but I couldn't be sure. Maybe I was just imagining it. I swallowed thickly, surprised when my tender throat lit with fire. My lips parted, and as I tried to swallow again, I felt a sizable lump in my throat. When did that get there? Was I really sick? Gobber had mentioned a fever earlier.

"Stoick, he's getting worse."

"_Gobber, for the last time, there is no such thing as a..."_

I heard Toothless whine in protest and felt something shift on the bed. Blankets? Yes. That's why I was so warm. I had a heap of blankets on me.

"What do you mean?"

_Dad? What's wrong? _

"I mean that his leg isn't healing. Neither is his head wound. Why do you think he's been out for a whole week? And his fever keeps climbing."

I heard dad sigh and imagined his eyes soften. "There has to be something you can do, Gobber. I can't sit here and watch him fade like this!"

Fade?

I was _dying?_

I didn't _feel_ like I was dying.

I didn't feel any severe pain. My heartbeat seemed steady enough. My breathing too. So what...?

Gobber had mentioned my head.

I remember the blood that had poured out of the head wound when Astrid had helped me up after the battle, but it hadn't...

It _had_ been a lot. I remember how disoriented I'd been, how warm my face had been. I remember Astrid's face when she'd lifted my chin... She'd been_ scared_. And I had never seen Astrid truly frightened like that. She'd always been so brave and so strong. Even when we faced the Red Death. She had been the first one to know about Toothless. The first one to really care.

"_Alright, I admit it. This is pretty cool. It's... _amazing_. He's amazing."_

And my leg...?

It didn't hurt. I couldn't... I couldn't even feel it. I had felt it earlier. Was it the drug? It had to be. If there was something wrong with it, though, wouldn't I feel it?

"There is something I could try... But the plant I need to use to make the medicine could very well kill him instead."

_What?_

Toothless growled protectively, and I tried to settle him, if only in my mind. I couldn't move any more than to twitch my fingers.

"Toothless, listen, I don't want this any more than you do," Gobber chastised. "But it could be the only way to save Hiccup." The Night Fury let out rolling grumble but quieted, and I imagined Gobber turning back to my dad. "That's the only thing I can think of, Stoick."

Was I really that bad?

I wanted more than anything to speak, to yell, to scream. Something. I wanted to talk. To communicate. To be able to offer my opinion.

But I couldn't even open my eyes.

_Dad..._

I felt long fingers wrap around my small hand, giving it a squeeze of compassion. "How long?"

How long what? How long until I woke up? How long until I could speak?

"I would say two more days. But no longer than that."

Oh.

How long I had to _live. _

Toothless cried out, nudging my side anxiously before Gobber rebuked him.

I felt something hot pressing against my closed eyelids. I didn't... I didn't want to die. Not now. Not yet. Not _ever._

_Dad, help me, please..._

Death was something that came to the old in their sleep, or the brave in battle... Or the sick in their beds...

I was sick.

I was dying.

Death was coming.

I felt dad's glazed eyes on me. "Give me some time to think it over, will you, Gobber?"

"Of course. This isn't a decision I would expect a father to make on the spot."

"Thank you."

"I'll be outside, Stoick. Give him this in a few minutes. He needs his rest."

No! I didn't want to sleep!

A door creaked shut, and I shivered at the cold air that blew in. It must be night time now. Is that why I felt so tired? Or was it still the drug?

_Dad, please..._

Why couldn't I talk? I wanted to move so much. I wanted to run. From all of this.

My stomach was in knots, and I just felt like screaming, crying... How could I be _dying?_ After everything I had been through, an_ infection_ was going to kill me? Not the Red Death or the Screaming Death or the Whispering Death or some other stupid dragon attack, but an _infection? _

"I don't know what to do, son..."

_ "Hiccup! I'm sorry. For-for everything."_

"I'm so lost."

_ "You don't have to go up there."_

"What do I do? What would_ you_ want?"

_"I'm proud to call you my son."_

I didn't want to die.

I knew that.

And I was hit with a sudden, unexpected rush of sorrow. Not only for myself, but also for my dad. What must it be like to have to make this decision? He had already lost so much. Grandpa, Grandma, Mom. I was the only family he had left. What must he be going through? How was _he_ feeling about all this?

"But if Gobber says this is the only way you could live... Hiccup, I can't-I can't lose you."

_I know. I didn't want to _go,_ either... Do whatever you need to, Dad... I'm sorry you have to do this._

Why couldn't I tell him that? I had so much I needed to say, to tell him.

Toothless grunted beside me, and I felt my throat burn with all my unspoken grief.

_It's okay, Toothless._

"I think... I have to let him try, at least. Right?"

I wanted to answer him, to help him. But I couldn't.

"Gobber is right about one thing, though. You need to rest, my son."

Wait. No...

I heard a chair squeak and the floorboards creak as he walked towards me.

_Dad, no! I don't want to sleep! Please!_

Something cold was pressed against my lips, and I felt the cool liquid stream down my throat before I instinctively swallowed. Already the sounds were muffling...

"I'll speak to Gobber about it. Goodnight, Hiccup..."

* * *

I wasn't sure what woke me the next time. At first I heard soft whispers, but slowly the words made sense, and I could understand them.

"I thought you should all be here."

It was dad talking, but who was he addressing?

"Are you sure this is the only way?

Fishlegs? What was he doing here?

"Yeah, couldn't we just-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"It would have been _stupid."_

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut, shut it," Astrid barked. "Not the time, or the place."

"Yeah," Snotlout added. "What-what she said."

I could just imagine Astrid rolling her eyes.

"How does the medicine work, Gobber?" she asked.

"Theoretically, it should induce an even deeper sleep to help him fight the infection. If he wakes up tomorrow, he'll be fine."

"And if he doesn't?" Fishlegs cried.

I felt panic spark deep inside me at just the thought of...

"He will," dad deadpanned. "He's a strong lad."

_Thanks, Dad._

Astrid agreed. "He's been through worse, and he'll make it through this."

I wanted to smile._ Thinking of the Red Death, Astrid? But remember what we lost, too..._

Toothless rumbled softly somewhere near me.

_It's okay, bud. I-I'll be okay. I hope._

There were a few moments of tense silence before, quietly, Gobber asked, "Are we ready?"

I wasn't sure if _I _was, though...

I was scared. So, so terrified. What if it didn't work? What if I didn't wake up? Would this be the last time that I would ever everyone's voices? When was the last time I had actually _seen_ my dad, spent _time_ with him? There were so many things that could go wrong...

"As ready as we'll ever be," Stoick said softly. "Here, I should do it."

"Stoick-"

"He's my son, Gobber. He's my responsibility. This is my fault."

_No it's not, dad. It's my fault._

A warm hand settled on my forehead, a comforting hand, and I felt a fraction of my fear melt away.

I sensed him hesitate and heard him sigh.

_Dad, please, just get it over with... I'll be fine. _

"_We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard."_

"I'm sorry, son."

I felt the liquid splash in my mouth and felt another rush of panic. This was it. This was the moment of truth. The tension in the room was palpable; even I could feel it... but it was lessening. Not because everyone was relaxing, no, but because_ I_ was _fading..._

I needed to wake up again. I needed to say so many things to so many people. I needed to tell Ruffnut and Tuffnut to get along. I needed to tell Snotlout that he had no chance with Astrid, no matter how flirtatious he was. I needed to tell Fishlegs that he was braver than he thought. I needed to tell Gobber that he was the uncle I never had, and I loved him like one. I needed to tell Astrid what she meant to me, how happy I was that we'd become more than just friends. I needed to tell my dad how grateful I was, how much I really did love him. I needed to thank Toothless for always being there...

I felt him brush against my arm, already crying out for me. I could barely feel his hot breath against my skin.

_It's okay, Toothless. I..._

"Come on, now," Gobber said thickly. "There's nothing we can do but wait."

I sensed my dad lean down and felt his lips brush against my hair, reminding me of when he and mom would tuck me into bed at night.

"Goodnight, my son. I'll see you in the morning."

_I think I need... some sleep._

I exhaled once more before my breathing swallowed, before I knew know more, before I might_ never _know anymore...

_Goodnight, Dad._

I could only pray that I woke up again.

* * *

I did warn people that it would end like this. I really did. I told them that it would be unresolved... and I was told that some fics were_ better_ that way. So technically I was _encouraged_ to end it like this... *clears throat*

But anyway, I don't have plans to write a sequel or an actual ending to this at the moment. I kind of want it to go unresolved. It leaves an air of mystery to it, you know? You can imagine it going either way. :)

I hope you guys liked it, though! I'm always anxious about new fics, especially exploring new fandoms. ;) I'm going to try to get a few more things accomplished before I hit the hay. (I doubt, though, that I'll do anything productive. Honestly. *rolls eyes at self*)

G'night, everyone! :) See you soon.


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